Means of handling, sorting, and distributing parcels, bales, and loads of goods and the like



G. E. LLOYD. MEANS OF HANDLING, SORTING, AND DISTRIBUTING PARCELS, SALES, AND LOADS 0F GOODS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8, 1919- "1,880,988. Patentedfiune 7,1921.

-3 SHEETSSHEET I- V e. E. LLOYD. MEANS OF HANDLING, SORTING, AND DISTRKBUTING PARCELS, BALES, AND'LOADS 0F. GOODSAND THE LIKE.

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APPLICATIQN'FILED SEPT. a: 1919.

Patented June 7, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 mswaa,

GUY ERNEST 'LLOYD, 0 F BANSTEAD, ENG-LAND.

MEANS OF HANDLING, SORTING, ennnrsrarsn rnve PARCELS, BALES, AND Loans.

' oreoons AND THE LIKE. 7 v

Specification of Letters Patent. Pabgntfid 311118 7, 1921.

Application filed September 8, 1919. Serial No. 322,469.

T 0 all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUY EnNEs'r LLOYD, a subject of'the' Kin of Great Britain, residing in Banstead, tngland, have invented certain new and useful Improved Means of Handling, Sorting, and Distributing Parcels, Bales, and Loads of Goods and the like, of whichthe following is a specification.

In apparatus for sorting, handling and distributing parcels, bales, loads of goods or the like such as is described in specifications to British Letters Patent Nos. 17344 01 1908, 3979 of 1913 and 21056 of 1913, it is sometimes necessary that the carriages called truckers should travel on inclined tracks, or tracks which are notvonly inclined to the horizontal but become vertical and return over themselves at a higher level, and in some cases lie entirely in avertica-l plane.

It is necessary that the platform which,

carries the goods should remain level, whatever may be the angle of-the track and my invention consists in providing on the trucker and on the traclcdevices which cooperate to maintain this level position of the platform when the track becomes inclined or changes in inclination. V

F or this purpose the platform is movably mounted on the frame and preferably pivoted to turn about ahorizontal axis and is caused to turn on this axis by the aforesaid cooperating devices. a

According to one arrangement there is a spur or worm wheel attached to the platform and this is engaged by a pinion or worm mounted on the trucker frame and driven by an electric motor whose starting, stopping and speed are determined by a suitable rheostat on the trucker or'track and brushes on the trucker making contact with rails or strips on the track. The'resistance in the motor circuit may be varied by shifting mechanically a contact carried on the trucker, as for example by a star wheel engaging successive pins fixed to the track; or it may be varied by different brushes in turn making contact with strips placed in different transverse positions on the track. By either arrangement the resistance isvaried so that the speed of the motor maintains the platform as nearly level as possible; thus when such a trucker is passing from a horizontal track to one inclined upward the motor is required to run while the inclination is changing only; and When changing again to horizontal, themotor requires to run in the reverse direction, or to drive through a reversing gear. lVhen the trucker is following a track which is circular in a vertical plane, the speed of the motor requires tolbe uniform solong-as both axles of the trucker are on the circular portion of the track.

According ;to another arrangement therotation' ofthe wheels carrying the trucker on the track is used to drive the suror.

worm-wheel attached to the platform, being connected therewith by friction or dog clutches thrown in orout of ear when" required by stopsorcams fixedto the track, or by electromagnets energized-"from the track by stripsiand wipers.

According to another arrangement a star wheel f geared to'the platform pivot is turned one way or the other-as required by pins fixed to the tracksoas to' engage itonone side of its center or the other; such star .wheel may be kept by. friction or by a detent in the position in which it is left.- The arms of'the star are smooth working. v 7 r I As a safeguard against failure of the proper operation. of the :devices I arrange that the motive power shall be cutoff the truckers if any" platform ceases to be level, by placing along the track suitable electric brushes, cutsouts, or mechanical strikers which shall be'cleared by all level platforms but shall be engaged by any platforms not level. 7 v

In cases where the greatest reliability is required I prefer to maintain the trucker preferablycams for platform levelby means of cam pins upon i it engaging cams fixed to the track. The 7 location and number of these cam pins depend upon thegreatest angle which the trucker frame 'makeswith the horizontal, and upon the minimum distance within which the'nor'mal to-thecam may approach theplatform pivot for satisfactory working. In cases where the trucker track descrihes a'semi-circlein a vertical plane there may be used four cam pins upon the platform successivelyengaging four camsfixed to the trucker track; The cam pins are symmetrically --arrange.d, equidistant from the pivot, two at one end and two at'the other-'endof the platform, and those'of each pair equidistant above and of the pivot.

below' the level;

When a trucker is entering the lower end of the semi-circle the lowerof the two leading cam pins engages a cam on the outside of the track; .when this engagement comes to an end the upper leading'pin enters a second cam; thereafter the upper cam pin at the other end of the platform engages a third cam on the inside of the track; then finally the cam pin belowthat engages a fourth cam also on the inside of the track. This arrangement permits the cam pins to clear the trucker axles as the trucker frame revolves around thelevel platform, and also permits the cams to clear the said axles. It leaves both sides of the platform clear for transfer of the load from right toleft.

The sides of the truckerframe'have two faces each of which is in turn flush with the platform when the frame is level and when trays are transferred to and from the pivoted platform their casters roll over the said faces. 1

Where. trucker tracks become vertical I use four wheels on each axle; two run on an inner pair of rails, that is the pair'ne'arer to the center around which the track curves from the horizontal, and two run on an outer pair of rails. For either pair a single wheel and rail maybe substituted "if con venient, but not for both pairs. As the trucker proceedsone pair takes the weight less and less, as the vertical is attained, and then the other pair takes it more and more,

' the twopairs of wheels revolving in opposite directions. 1

In the accompanying drawings Figure. '1

is aside elevation and Fig: 2 a front cuit by resistance on the trucker and on sively engage.

the track respectively; Fig. 6 shows a side view of atrucker in which the platformis turned through a clutch connection tothe trackwheels. Fig. 7 shows a star wheel which turns the platform by engaging pins on the track. Fig. 8 shows safetystrikers on the track which are engaged only ifa trucker platform ceases to be level from any cause, so that the motive power. can be out off. Figs. 9 and 9, read together, are a side view, andFig. 10.is a partial front'view of the semi-circular portion of a track for truckers and whereinjthe platforms of the truckers arekept' level by four cams fixed to the tracln withwhich four cam pins on the pivoted platform succes- In Figs. 1 and 2 the platform 1 is pivoted on the shaft 3 inlthe frame 2. lheframe is carried by the track wheels 4'whose axles 5 clear the platform, as it "revolves. The

platform 1 is kept level by being rotated relatively to frame'2 by a wormor spurwheel 6 driven by, a wormor spur-pinion 7 .from anelectric motor 8. The intermediate bevel gearing shown is purely for convenience of arrangement. Electric current is conveyed to the motor by brushes 9 wiping live and return rails 10 on the track. If the track is circular and both ends of the carriage are on the same circle the motor requires torun at constant speed; but 1f the frame 2. is becoming moreinclined ata faster rate, the motor should run faster and if frame 2 is becoming more inclined at a slower rate, the motor should run less fast. The speed maybe varied by a rheostat adjusted mechanically as in Fig. 3, where the .c'ontact arm is geared to a star wheel 11 engaged by. pins 12 fixed on the track. A similar star wheeladapted to engage pins so as to be rotated in: the opposite direction reverses the adjustment of this rheostat. In Fig. 4, which is diagrammatic, the resistance is varied by having anumber of brushes 9,,9 9 etc. wiping in turn lengths of conductor'10 10 .10 and each brush connected with the motor through a different resistance 13,, 13 13 In Fig. 5 the different resistances 18 are placed, not on the trucker between the brushes and the motor as in Fig.4, but on the track between the conductors 10 and the source of current.

In Fig. 6 the worm 7 is turned when required by connection with the track wheels .4 through a clutch. On the shaft 14, keyed to worm 7-, is mounted free a skew .ivheel 15 engaging skew wheel 16onthe axle of wheel 4. ()n the end of shaft 14 slides adog or friction clutch 17 turned by a feather on the shaft 5 caused to engage skew wheel 15 by a pivoted fork 18 which is moved one way by a cam such as 19 on the track and the other way by a cam such as 20 on the track, and is held in theposition in which the cams leave ;it;by a spring detent 21.

l/Vhere rotation of shaft 14 is tobegin, a"

cam 19 is fixed to the track; where it is to cease, a cam 20 is placed. Forreversmg therotation of shaft 14 any reversing gear maybe similarly thrown into. action.

In F ig. 7 the skew gear 15'is keyed to the shaft 14 turned when required by a gear wheel carrying a star wheel 22 engaging pin 23 on the track, the arms of the star,

as in Fig. 8, being cams adapted to engage smoothly so that rotation starts gradually. Ifthe platform 1 is to be turned uniformly the pins 23 are evenly spaced if the turning is to be slower they are spacedfarther apart; and 1f the turning is to be reversed pins are placed so as-to engage another star wheel having arms-curved the other way, shown I dotted, and on1the opposite side of vits pivot. v

In Fig. 8 are shown onlytheplatforms of fivetruckersin differentpositions on a semicircular track. Each has :two .arms 24 .at right anglesto each other,.carrying pins 25 and 26 in different ,planes. Strikers 27, .27., are mountedat suitable intervals along the track, each having a gap permitting pin 25 or pin 26 to pass it when the platform is level, in which casethe paths of-the pins 25 and'26 arethose shown chain-dotted. In the upper quadrant variations in theinclination of the platform .I do not cause :thepin 25 to leave this pathsufliciently for certainioperation of astriker and consequently strikers 27 are placed for similar action with pin 26. \Vhen a striker isiengagedby the pin 25 or the pin 26 it is moved,:the arrangement being such that this movement cuts off the motive power of the-truckers.

Instea-dof pins 25 and 26 and'strikers 27 and 27,, there may be brushes adapted to make contact with terminals on either side of the path so as to complete'a relay-electric circuit to cause the motive powerto be cut Figs. 9 andi9 read together, show a verti calsection, and Fig.10 shows anend view of one semi-circular end of a track and truckers, the platforms of the truckersihaving cam pins engaging cams on the track. The lowesttrucker is shown in elevationin Figs. 9 and 9 and :Fig. 10. The other truckers .in Figs. 9 and 9 and the track are-shown in section on line A-A of Fig. 10 which gives a view of the track looking from left to right in Figs. 9 and 9, with many features omitted for clearness, including all truckers except the lowest and the next but one.

Each trucker consists of a platform 1 mounted on a pivot shaft 3 which is carried in two side members 2, each supported at each end by an axle 5 provided with two outer track wheels 4., and two inner track wheels 4 With motion as shown by the arrow the wheels 41,, run counter clockwise, and 4 run clockwise on the rails with which they are in contact as shown in Fig. 10. The inner wheels are fixed on the axle 5 running in a sleeve 2 which forms part of the frame with the side members 2. The

outer wheels may run loosely, preferably on ball bearings of large diameter attached to the inner wheels so that they are well controlled against side play. The inner wheels may be driven by electric motors 30 and gearing 31, while these wheels are bearing the weight on the bottom straight track. On the top straight track the outer wheels bear the weight and can be driven by reversing gear from the motors if necessary.

The wheels may be kept from sidewise motion by flanges, but I usually prefer to ruseirollers 32 which run on the inside of. the

rails farthest from. the center, but on the upper straight trackthese rails are'removed trucker'platforms and here I provide a channel 38 in whichrun rollers 3 1 depending from each'end of the platform 1. The upper 35 35 35 each preferably having an antifriction roller, and four cams 36 36 36,, 36. are fixed to the track soas to be engaged successivelyby the cam pins. Cam pin 35,.

to permit of transfers to and from the 1 first engages cam 36 andin so doing maintains the platform llevel. Cam 36 ends at a point where the normal to it passes-within thedistanceta) of the pivot 3, and then cam pin 35 -engages cam 36 when this ends for the same reason cam pin 35 engages cam 36 and similarly later cam pin 35. engages cam 36 The dotted arcs over the platforms in Fig.9, and the rectangles in Fig. 10 show the limits of loads which will clear the axles and side members asthese revolve around the platformf ln Fig. 10 the supports of the track railsare shown clearing these limits as well. j

i The rollers 32 are shown mounted in cradles which can be turned by any suitable device so th'atthe axis of the roller is always normal to the track rail,:for example by gearing from a star wheel turned 'by pins on the track as 1n Fig. 3. 'TlllS ad ustment is required-near the beginning-and end-of a circular portion of the track.

Having thus described the nature of the said invention and the best means I know of carrying the same into practical'effect, I claim Y 1. Apparatus for handling, sorting and distributing parcels, bales and loads of goods and the like by truckers running on a track of varying inclination, wherein a frame carried by wheels follows the inclination of the track, a platform bearing the goods is mounted to turn on an axis on the frame, and means on the trucker cooperating with means on-the track are provided whereby the platform is maintained level whatever the inclination of the frame.

2." Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the platform is pivoted to the frame on a horizontal axis.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the platform pivot is supported by the frame on. both sides of the platform and wherein the faces of the trucker frame are flush with the platform on a horizontal track, for the purpose set forth.

4:. Apparatus according to claim 1, where in the leveling means comprise parts on the platform mounted. in driving engage- "turns the platform on the frame,

'ment with parts on the frame which in turn are operated by parts on the track. a i 5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the leveling 'means' comprise bodies such as cam pins on the platform directly engaging bodies such as cams fixed to the track. 6. Apparatus for handling, sorting and distributing parcels, bales and loads of goods and the like by truckers running on a track of" varying inclination, wherein a frame carried by wheels follows the inclination of the track, a platform bearing the goods is mounted to turn on an'axiszon the frame, an electric motor carried by the trucker, means whereby the electric motor a rheostat in the circuit of the said motor, brushes on the trucker in the said circuit, and conductors on the track adapted to make electrical contact with the said brushes, for the purpose set forth. .i

7. Apparatus for handling, sorting and distributing parcels, bales and loads of. goods and the like by truckers running on a track of varying inclination, wherein a frame carried by wheels follows the inclina- 1 tion of the track, a platform bearing the goods is mounted to turn on an axis on the frame, anelectric motor carried by the trucker, means whereby the electriomotor turns the platform in the frame, a rheosta't mounted on the trucker in thecircuit of the said motor and means carriedby the trucker and on the track adapted to engage mechanically and to operate the rheostat, for the purpose set forth.

8, Apparatus for handling, sorting and distributing parcels, bales and loads of goods and the like by truckersrunmng on a track of arying inclination, wherein a frame carriediby vwheels follows the inclination of the track, a platform bearing the goods is mounted to turn on an axis on the frame, an electric motor carried by the trucker, means whereby the electric'motor turns the platform in the frame, electrical 9. For turning the platform as referred i to in claim 1,. a gear between the platform andthe running wheels of the trucker and means on thetrack for mechanically operatingthe said gear.

10. For turning the platform as referred to in claim 1, a gear between the platform and the running. wheelseof the trucker, an electromagnet on the trucker for operating the said'gearand means on the track for completing the circuit of the said electromagnet. a. w

11. In combination with the means referred toin claim 1, means carried by the drives it and means on the track'in such I positions that they are engaged by the; said contact strips placed in different transverse I trucker for cutting off thepower which In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this s ecification.

i UY LLOYD. 

